Earnhardt, Kahne, Gordon test at Richmond in hopes of making NASCAR Chase field

NASCAR races at Richmond International Raceway.

Marty O'Brien, mobrien@dailypress.com | 757-247-4963

RICHMOND — It was partially hidden behind several days of stubble he calls his "testing look," but Jeff Gordon acknowledged the stress. Ditto for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne.

The Hendrick Motorsports teammates all are on the bubble for making the Chase championship, the Sprint Cup Series 10-race playoff. The field will be settled when NASCAR returns to Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 7 for the Federated Auto Parts 400.

Of the four Hendrick drivers to visit RIR for testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, only Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson is assured of a place in the 12-driver field, and his relaxed attitude showed.

"From my standpoint this test could've been used at a Chase track," Johnson said.

What Johnson had in common with his teammates is that he "struggled" during testing. Still, all of the drivers were happy to have the opportunity to test Tuesday night in preparation for the night race at RIR.

"You want to match those conditions as closely as possible whether you're testing or practicing during race weekends," said Gordon, a four-time Cup champion who is in 14th place, 27 points shy of a top-10 position he'll likely need to make the Chase unless he wins two of the next three races. "I thought last night was really valuable for us but I can't say it went very well."

Earnhardt is seventh in the points standings, but after several bad finishes is 20-points inside the top 10. He'll need to stay in the top 10 to make the Chase if he remains winless and thus unable to qualify for one of two wild cards.

He said the trip to Richmond had some value, albeit limited.

"Testing to me never guarantees an advantage," Earnhardt said. "The track's going to be completely different when we come back here to race.

"We are here trying to learn. I don't think the (No.) 88 team has run good here the last several times, so we're trying to take advantage of the opportunity to test."

Other than Johnson, Kahne is in the best shape among Hendrick drivers Chase-wise, with two victories giving him the inside track for the first wild-card berth. Should he need a third win to make the Chase on Sept. 7, he's not sure if testing gave him any answers as to whether he can get it.

"I still feel like (RIR) always throws us," Kahne said. "Until you get in the race with 42 other cars and you're battling and the track's changing and your car's changing, you're not exactly sure what you have."

Kahne, whose first Cup win came on RIR's 3/4-of-a-mile oval in 2005, is sure about what a win in Richmond would mean.

"Winning the race that night is a really big deal, then it's all about the Chase after that," he said. "If you can win, the momentum it brings right before the Chase starts is really good.

"That goes a long ways when the Chase starts."

Before that, Earnhardt, Gordon and Kahne will have to deal with stress. They race at Bristol on Saturday and Atlanta on Sept. 1 before the Chase field is set at the end of the Richmond race.

"It's a long season, no doubt about it," Gordon said. "This summer's been really tough on us, we've had some rough races, and that can really weigh on you when it's already pulling on you from the stress and working so hard and lack of sleep and all those things.

"(The stress) is mainly internal. It weighs on the whole team and when things aren't going well it gets tougher."

Earnhardt said, "The confidence is there and the stress is there too. I don't think anybody wants to be on the bubble or even worried or concerned about points leading up to Richmond.

"We hope to have a couple of good weeks and put ourselves in a pretty comfortable situation before we come into Richmond."

Chances are good, however, that Earnhardt will have to deliver the goods at Richmond, with many of the six Chase spots effectively up for grabs now still unsettled. Johnson is in, and Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth are all but certain of being part of the field when the Chase begins on Sept. 15 at Chicagoland.

Nine drivers are poised to battle for the remaining six spots. Gordon, who passed Kyle Busch for the final Chase berth with a stellar run at Richmond a year ago, thinks that could make the upcoming race at RIR a hot ticket.

"I do think this is one of the premier races on the circuit, especially being prior to the Chase," he said. "I still think this is one of the most popular races we have and I expect it to be pretty close to sold out.

"If it's not, it should be, because if I'm coming as a spectator I want to watch Richmond, especially with so much on the line."